Turmoil Back Home
by paracuties
Summary: Ed and Al have finally returned back to Resembool, but is Winry still waiting for Ed?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! This is my first story, so…tell me what I need to fix, and I'll try my best!**

I, Edward Elric, and my brother, Alphonse Elric, were finally heading back home. I had three years worth of research, and some of it I had already shown Al. But we had plenty of time to go over it later, anyway. Al had shown me some alkahestry he learned from Mei, a Xingese girl he'd befriended on our long journey. He'd gone East, while I'd gone West on our latest journey, so we had quite a catching up to do. Most importantly, I had to come back to Winry. It was hard to communicate long-distance, so we rarely sent letters. But I loved her, and she loved me, so it was time to come back. Besides, my automail needed some major repairs. I'd run into a lot of trouble, either trying to keep some people from ruining a village, or defending myself from some really weird creatures over there in the West.

At the doorstep, I fumbled with my keys for a minute before inserting it into the keyhole and pushing open the door. "Surpri-", I started, before I took in the scene before me. The first thing I saw was some random guy, practically _laying on top of Winry._ However, their heads were close together, too close to be talking. Actually, they were…kissing. Urgently, by the looks of it. And…he was also an automail patient, since he was missing the bottom half of his left arm. The port fitted right below his elbow, but it seemed to be a little bent, somehow. That was probably why he was there.

"Uh-hmm," I cleared my throat, and the guy jumped off, started. Winry looked up, and her eyes widened. "Ed?! Al?! Wh-how-I wasn't expecting you guys!" Then she quickly came over and gave us just as quick hugs, and…waited. "Well…I'll go unpack, I guess," I said, and ran up the stairs before anything could get even more awkward. My eyes burned, but I didn't dare cry just 'cause of this. "Brother, wait!" Al stomped up the stairs after me, and soon caught up since my automail wasn't working too well.

"Brother…" Al whispered, but I ignored him and laid on my bed. How could she? I thought she'd wait for me. I angrily punched my pillow, and a bit of stuffing flew out. "Whoops," I muttered, and Al sighed across the room. A million questions and accusations flew through my head, but I finally settled on one that I NEEDED to ask Winry. "Are you happy being with _him_?" I muttered into my ripped up pillow.

**Okay, so there's the first chapter. I'm not exactly sure if I should continue it, but…if I do get some reviews of encouragement…*hint, hint* then I'll keep continuing!**

**Oh yeah, PLEASE no flames. PLEASE, PLEASE!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ohmygod, thank you to:**

**Nerdygangsta: Thanks for reviewing! And…well, I can't say that I'll update soon, but it won't be like, WEEKS or something.**

**Athenafrodite: Thanks for the review! I'll try my best, but…if they get out of character, I can't really do much, and just remind me so that the next chapter I'll get them back in character.**

**DarkForestWolf: Aww, thanks! You make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside…And my sister would totally love your username…she's like obsessed with wolves or something.**

**And thanks to other anonymous reviewers!**

**I mean, it wasn't much, but I wasn't really expecting that many anyway. Okay, I know a lot of you just looked at it and then left, but…drop a review! As long as it's not a flame…It means SO MUCH TO ME. I literally danced with joy when I found those reviews. Okay, I'm not gonna bore you with all this, so…read on! **

**Oh wait-I just realized I didn't put a disclaimer in the last chapter…well, I wish I owned Fullmetal Alchemist, but I don't. I really wish I did, though, because then the 2003 anime would not have ended so horribly. **

Later that night, after Winry had shooed Pitt out the door, after eating dinner alone even though she had repeatedly called Ed and Al for dinner, she lay in bed, just…confused. She felt _so_ confused, because she had finally, hesitantly accepted Pitt, Ed suddenly decided to come and barge in. She also felt guilty. But you shouldn't, Winry reminded herself, it was Ed's own fault that he just left for _three whole years,_ and how could she help it if she wanted a family? Oh, it was all so terribly confusing. She knew, deep down, that maybe she did like Edward Elric just that little bit more. Oh, okay, she was totally in love with him. But Pitt…Pitt Renbak was a totally different story.

The first year that Ed was gone, he just kept coming back, begging for her to go on a date with him. At first, she had politely refused, giving him a kind smile and chatting a little bit, before making him go. But towards the end of the year she had just full on slammed the door in his face. She just couldn't let go of Edward yet, even though in the few rare letters he sent all he said in it was about what he had seen, all the different customs there, etc. Nothing about how he missed her, like she missed him.

Then, the second year, she thought, Why don't I just start fresh? The next time he came visiting again, she snatched the flowers from his hands and threw them on the dirt road. Then, shouting at him, said that friends don't give each other flowers. Pitt looked upset at first, but then realizing what she meant, his face blossomed into a wide smile, and his happiness was so contagious, she couldn't help but smile back. They were good friends throughout the year, but as the third year rolled along, Pitt tried getting closer again. And she realized that if she just kept on waiting for Ed, then she probably wouldn't have that happy family she always daydreamed about. A couple kids, a loving husband, maybe a dog. And so, after thinking on it for weeks, slowly, hesitantly, reached out to hold onto Pitt's hand. Their first kiss was shared on the porch, and recently, they had gotten more intense. And that was when Edward had barged into her life.

She sighed, rolling over on her bed again. She'd better get to sleep, in order to face Edward tomorrow with a clear head.

_***line break***_

I woke up, rubbing my eyes and still feeling really groggy and sleepy. Rolling over, I noticed that it was already 11:24 am. Great. Missed breakfast. Last night, I'd finished my supply of crackers, which was only around 30, more or less. I was annoyed, but who would go and eat dinner with their supposed fiancé after they had seen them fiercely kissing someone else? Yeah. Exactly.

Sighing, I stumbled out of bed, and took a long, refreshing shower to clear my head. After I was done washing up, I crept downstairs, and after hearing the distinctive clinking of metal which meant Winry was in her workshop, I grabbed a couple pieces of bread and hurried out the door. Once outside, I found myself relaxing. Before I knew it, I found myself strolling the streets, watching as people went from stall to stall, buying the groceries needed for that night's dinner. I realized I was thinking of Winry's apple pie, and quickly shook my head and looked around for something to distract myself with. Luckily, I found something. Unluckily, it was a fight. They were still in the shouting stages, both glaring murderously at each other. One seemed to be the owner of the traveling circus group, complete with a tiger, elephant, and other assortment of people. I cautiously walked forward, knowing that this could get really out of hand.

"I _said_ that I'd pay you!" screamed the other man, not the circus owner. The circus owner gritted his teeth, and said angrily, "And _I _said that that's not the point! I can't just sell you this tiger! Where would I get another one? It took-" "Why can't you just get another freakin' tiger from wherever you got _that_ one from?!" "Because, as I was about to explain, I was given this special tiger from a couple of Xingese merchants after I helped them and gave them a place to stay for a couple of weeks!"

"Okay, whoa, calm down," I decided to intervene. "What do you want, blondie!" the man trying to buy the tiger yelled at me. Okay, that was new. But technically, I couldn't really be called _short_ anymore, since I'd gotten my growth spurt afterwards and am now 6' 2''. "Just shut up, okay? You _can't_ buy a tiger, so just put it to rest!" I retorted. He muttered a few things under his breath, and in the blink of an eye, drew a transmutation circle that moved the tiger cage onto his huge wagon, and scamped off.

…What? "Hey! Get back here! Where do you think you're going?!" I raced after him, and quickly clapped my hands and placed them to the ground, causing a huge stone wall to emerge in front of the crazy dude. He spun around, surprised, and his eyes widened even more when he realized it was me. He narrowed his eyes again, and bent down. Before I knew it, sharp, think spikes exploded out of the ground, and I flipped backwards, easily evading them. I realized that they were going to hit other innocent civilians though, and quickly put up another stone wall. By the time I was able to race back to where I had last left him, he was gone. Gritting my teeth, I ran down the street I just KNEW he had escaped to.

**Okayy…well that was not how I expected this chapter to come out. I think I've got most of the story planned out now, but it still might change at a moment's notice. People, review! The more reviews, the faster I update… and also, NO FLAMES PLEASE.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, sorry, I promised it wouldn't be weeks when I updated, but…it turned out to still end up that way. Please don't kill me! And since I don't exactly have much time here, I won't be listing all the people who reviewed, but still, I want to say thanks to all of you! And please, review! Cause some of you just follow it…how hard is it to just say, "Keep updating!" or "I like it!" or whatever else. But still, I do like the follows…anyway, on with the disclaimer!**

**Disclaimer: Heh, you thought I was going to say story, didn't you? Anyway, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. **

And it just so happened that right then, my leg gave an audible groan, and the kneecap popped right off. My automail leg, I mean. If it was my real leg…ugh. Okay, I don't want to think about that. The bottom half fell apart, screws and wires coming loose and metal pieces sliding off.

"…WHAT?! Great," I muttered. I had totally forgotten about my bad automail leg, totally ignoring its squeaking and creaking, pushing it way past its limit. Bending down, I carefully picked up every screw and other parts along with my kneecap, and took note of my surroundings so that after my automail repairs I could come back and track him down.

Slowly standing up again, I hobbled my way back to Winry's house, carefully clutching onto all the pieces. It took a while, and by the time I finally rung the doorbell-since I forgot my keys-it was already 1:00 pm. Stomach growling, I impatiently rung it a few more times, and when it was clear that nobody was going to come open the door, I set down all the stuff I'd been carrying, and used alchemy to unlock it.

"Umm, Winry?" I ventured inside the house. Setting my stuff down on the kitchen table, I got a quick, refreshing drink of water, then headed toward her workshop. A feeling of dread started growing in the pit of my stomach, but as I peeked behind the partially open door, no random guy was spotted, and I breathed a sigh of relief. But…no Winry was in sight either. Huh. Then, I heard a sound.

The sound of arguing floated down the stairs; curious, I wandered over and made my way painfully up the stairs. After all, I could only rely on one of my legs. Shuffling forward as quietly as possible, the voices gradually became more distinct, and I recognized the, to be Winry's and another guy's. Probably that one guy…who she was sucking face with the other day. I barely restrained myself from marching right in there and punching him in the face as I realized just what they were arguing about.

"You know what, Winry? You're probably just going to break up with me now. I saw that look on your face, when _he_ came in. You-"

"I'm not going to! I've already told you! I'm not, okay? I love you, Pitt, and, and…and you can't start doubting me! Aren't couples supposed to be trusting toward each other?"

Winry sounded like a trapped animal, backed up into a corner with no way out. She sounded desperate, so afraid that Pitt would drop her. Oh, it was all my fault. Because I left her, she was afraid that eventually this other guy-apparently his name was Pitt-would also leave her, and she was reaching out and clinging tightly onto any hope she would ever have.

"…have just pushed me out the door when _Edward_ arrived? You realized he did come back, and you decided that he was just better than me. You didn't even fix my automail on my appointment day! You just totally forgot about me!"

God, this guy was so full of envy…something I had learned a longtime ago was best not to have too much of around.

"Urgh! Pitt! Come on, please! Just give me another chance to make it up to you!" Now she sounded close to tears.

"You know what, forget it. We'll talk about this another time."

As he angrily rushed out the room, Pitt noticed me, roughly gave me a push as he swept by, along with a dirty look. A few moments later, the door downstairs slammed violently, and Winry gave a little sniff, then slowly shuffled out. Even when she was crying, she was beautiful. Her long, lemon blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, a little messy but still cute. Baby blue eyes stared at me, surprised, and small, pink lips parted slightly.

"Wh-what are you doing?" There was a silence, not necessarily awkward, but not really comfortable either. "Umm…" I gestured to my destroyed automail leg, and her eyes widened in disbelief. "WHAT! You broke your automail _again?!_ UGH, well, come downstairs into the workshop, and I'll fix it up."

Good old Winry. She was still the same old automail geek.

**Okay, yeah, that REALLY SERIOUSLY sucked. It was just a random chapter, and it took me forever to come up with something. Only last night, when I was just lying in bed, a "light bulb" moment came to me, and I was like, "Yes! This is it! I can finally finish that stupid little chapter I started like a week ago this way!" But anyway…PLEASE REVIEW PEOPLE and I know a lot of people say this, but I really, really do mean it! I mean, those of you who are authors, you understand, right? …Right? Well, anyway, it really does mean a lot to me. REVIEW. PLEASE. **

**~paracuties**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay…this chapter is soo late **_**I**_** can't even believe it. I'm so sorry, guys. And making excuses is sucky, but I HAVE been busy with school lately. I'm in the Biomed program, if you've heard of it. It's REALLY busy. But fun, still. Anyway. Here's another random chapter…not much stuff in it…but I hope you enjoy! And also, thank you everybody for reviewing! Really. It's not that I'm too lazy to list all your usernames and say personal messages, it's just…well, I don't know. I guess it is cause I'm too lazy. Sorry 'bout that. But still, I'm grateful, so…yeah. Continue reading.**

**Disclaimer: I already said it in the first two chapters-I think anyway-so I think I'm good. No need to keep saying it every chapter…**

As we sat down, I immediately busied myself with retrieving the necessary tools. I tried starting small conversations with Ed, but they kept on fizzling out after Ed only answered my questions with a couple mumbled words. I sighed, just trying to concentrate on fixing his automail. Why was it so hard? I mean, so hard to get the life I wanted? Why couldn't I just have a perfect life, one where I'm married to my true love, Pitt, and have my best friends, Ed and Al, by my side? Except that's the kind of life you see only in movies, and ever since that fateful day-well, it was just yesterday-that Ed barged into my house, into a private moment, and into my life again, I wasn't so sure that that kind of life was what I really wanted. Did I really want to marry Pitt? Did I really want Ed to only be my best friend and not something more?

It was at this time that I noticed Ed kept fidgeting. "Stop it! I'm never going to finish fixing your automail if you're squirming around." "Okay, okay, jeez. And I'm not 'squirming around', I'm just looking. Squirming sounds so…undignified." Biting back a giggle, I asked him, "Well, what were you looking for, then?" "Well, I was wondering…I mean, I haven't seen Granny around. So…-oh jeez, Winry, what's wrong?! Was it something I said? Is it about Granny? Did she…wait a second." He had figured it out that quickly. It had taken Pitt weeks to finally start thinking something was wrong. And he still really didn't figure it out until I told him flat out. He'd apologized, of course, but I still wished he could read me as easily as Ed could. Wait—why was I even comparing them, anyway? _Stop it!_ I told myself. _You love Pitt, remember? Don't forget that!_

"…to Winry? Hello? Helloo—" "I'm here, I'm here, stop waving your hand in front of my face." "Okay, just checking if you're okay or not!" he grumped. After a moment, he asked me, "So…about Granny, when did—" and that was when my vision got blurry again from the tears. He stared at me, an indecisive look on his face. Then, before I knew it, his arms were around me, strong firm hands gripping my shoulders. He said nothing, which I was grateful for. And finally, I leaned in, and cried my heart out. I cried for Granny, for Pitt, and especially for Ed. Eventually, my tears stopped, but I felt so much lighter. It felt good to release all that tension and pressure, even though my nose felt stuffy and my eyes swollen.

"Sorry 'bout that," I mumbled, my voice sounding clogged. "I'll go cleanup, I guess." I hurried out of the room.

***line break***

Oh my God. That was just plain stupid of me. Why'd I even do that?! We weren't…like _that_ anymore, even if I yearned for it so badly to happen. There was a sudden knock on the front door, and a familiar voice said, "Hey! Anyone there? Pleease open the door, 'cause I've got my hands full! Brother? Oh, come on, Brother, I'm sure you're in there!" Forgetting that my automail leg had been removed, I scrambled up…only to fall flat on my face. I guess Winry must've heard the loud smack my face made, because right then she came around the corner, and was immediately by my side.

"Oh, gosh! Ed, why are you on the floor? Are you okay? And didn't I tell you to stay put?" she said sternly, but before I could tell her I was fine, and that Al was waiting at the door, there was a loud kick. "Who's that?" Winry whispered. "It's—" "Wait here, I'm going to check it out." So, brandishing her wrench, she tiptoed out of the room and toward the front door. "Ugh, _come on_," I groaned. Crawling forward, I finally made it to the kitchen, only to watch in horror as Winry swung the door open, and Alphonse was, for once, the victim of Winry's wrath, by accident or not. "Eeeiahh!" screamed Al, and Winry gasped. I was the one most in despair however as I watched the precious groceries fall, fall onto the tiled floor with a crash, and my wonderful food spill out everywhere.

"NOOO," I moaned in despair. Both Winry and Alphonse stopped whatever they were doing and stared as I rolled around on the floor. After a moment though, I stopped and snapped, "Well, don't just stand there! Don't let the food rot any longer!" Both Al and Winry rolled their eyes and immediately bent down and salvaged whatever was left—the eggs were toast—and started cooking it right up. I smiled as the wonderful aroma of food filled my nostrils. Before long, we were all seated at the lunch table. Food was served, and just for that little while, we were back to being best friends, like before. If only it could last forever.

**There's the fourth chapter. Sorry if it was really boring. I'd like some constructive criticism too, please, 'cause I'm trying to improve my writing here. But please review anyway, if it's not constructive criticism! As long as it's not a flame. I mean, I don't get why people flame people. It's just wasting your time, and you're not doing yourself or anybody else any good for that matter. So, REVIEW!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Whoo! 1,619 words—not counting the ANs—in this chapter! I think that's a record. I know the Ed in the flashback is sort of OOC…he wouldn't give up that easily, but. For the sake of my story, it's going to have to be that way. And…towards the end, he also seems really dumb and totally not paying attention to his captive, but…again, for the sake of my story, it'll have to end up that way. And, thank you, all of you who have reviewed! To show my thanks, I am once again putting up replies to all of you:**

**jacklynkaleigh: Well, I already sent a PM and everything, but I still want to say thanks that you've been following my story all these chapters! **

**animefreak3721: Sent a PM, but I'm still glad that people like you are giving me suggestions on SOMETHING in my story. I do want a bit constructive criticism!**

**Neusuada: Edwin won't be happening anytime soon, but they're mending their friendship right now…**

**ungoliantt: I'm glad you like it! The more people who like it and review, the faster I'll update!**

**And thank you people who are following and/or favoriting my story, but please review too!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist—I'm definitely not that creative!**

"Ahh," I sigh in happiness and content. Both Winry and Alphonse are good cooks, apparently. It's only Al and I sitting at the table right now, since Winry's upstairs taking a shower. She fixed my leg after dinner though, so I was able to snatch a couple cookies from the top cabinet.

"I really missed Amestrian food," Al says, also quite happy and content. I burst out saying, "I thought staying all those years in Xing with that bean girl would've changed your taste buds by now!" "Well, can't I like both?" Al asks, affronted. I laugh, and reply, "Sure." "And remember how you were getting all uptight about me going off by myself to Xing? You were so worried that I'd mess up my body the minute I was out of sight, even though I had been taking care of it for months perfectly well already!" "Yeah, well," I sigh. He's trying to get a laugh out of me, but it brings back unhappy memories, memories I'd rather forget.

_I was frustrated and confused, but all of a sudden there's two badly injured men crawling over, pleading for me to use their lives to bring back Alphonse. They beg me, while explaining why they wanted to do this. One of them was trying to reach a higher position so he could control the military a little bit more, and have the military do good things instead of always focusing on war. The other was a good friend willing to help him get there at no matter what cost. However, the first man was ready to quit when I'm apparently coming in, all battered and bruised from the latest mission. There was unhappiness in my expression, but I still march on, and he notices that even after losing two limbs, going through the pain and rehabilitation from automail surgery, and going through so many failed missions, I am still determined to keep going. So somehow that gives him strength to try again, and made him a better person._

_He begs and bets, telling me that I was his 'hero', and says that if I don't do this, then it'd be making his life a waste. "Equivalent exchange," he says with a weak laugh. "That's what you alchemists always go by, right?" In turn for me giving him renewed strength, he should give his life. "Please," He says, eyes wet with tears, "You have to do this. I won't be able to rest in peace like this if you don't." So with a heavy heart, I trace out a transmutation circle, and clap my hands, placing them onto the rough ground. The last thing I see in his eyes are gratitude and relief, before the gate is towering before me once more._

"Ed…I know what you're thinking. And come on, it _isn't_, never was, your fault. Never was, and never will be." Al interrupts my flashback, and I shake my head. "It was my decision to take their lives, and I just broke that promise I made with you all those years back. Never take a human life in order to get our bodies back."

"EDWARD ELRIC!" Al suddenly bursts out, and I am startled into looking at his face. "You were doing more good than bad when satisfying two peoples' death wish, instead of keeping a little promise you made with your younger brother a long time ago." "But…I promised you…" My argument sounds weak even to my ears, and I sigh in defeat. "Okay, okay, you win…as usual." Alphonse chuckles lightly, and the topic is dropped. We both know however, that it's going to picked up again sometime later with a much more serious, in-depth discussion.

The doorbell rings, and I can hear Winry shouting for one of us to get it. I cluelessly amble over, but when I open it, it's not the cute little girl next door trying to sell cookies, but Pitt. We stare at each other for a long moment. Winry clatters down the stairs, asking, "Who is it?" and I turn toward her, accidentally allowing Pitt to step inside. She stops toweling her hair, and lets out a quiet, "Oh." Meanwhile, Al has stood up, and is looking between the three of us confusion. He doesn't remember who Pitt is, since he had hurried to chase after me when I ran up the stairs. "I'm going out," I say, and zip through the door as fast as I can.

Once outdoors, I relax, the cool, fresh air clearing my head. Pitt was so infuriating. Why'd he have to just barge in on a perfectly good night? Couldn't he have come tomorrow, so that I could remember this night as the last moment of happiness I had with Winry, and treasure it forever? Oh, God. I sounded like such a sap. I kick the dirt in frustration. In the end, it'd still be Winry's decision; who she chose to stay with forever.

I look up at the stars, small twinkling bits of warmth in the cold night sky. It has a dizzying effect, and I'm about to look back down when I notice a familiar crackle of blue light out of the corner of my eye. It grabs my attention, and I am running toward it before I'm even aware of what I'm doing.

Eventually, it leads me to a normal-looking farm. For some reason, this neighborhood looks familiar. I brush it off, trying to see what's going on inside. I know of no other alchemist in Resembool besides Alphonse and me, and there aren't even any books on alchemy in the measly little public library we have. So, that would basically mean it wasn't just some kid messing around with it. It'd have to be someone not from around here. All of this gives me a queasy feeling, and the transmutation is taking way too long for it to be anything simple. The only things I know of that would take this long would be creating a chimera, or…human transmutation. I really hope I'm mistaken, and that it ends up being neither of them.

It's autumn right now, so the wind suddenly starts up again and slams open a wooden side door. Perfect! I sneak in, and notice there are stairs leading down to a basement. I'll just take a peek, and if it's nothing harmful, I'll sneak back out, no one ever knowing I was there.

Edging open the door just a crack, I notice the transmutation is finally dying down. A familiar-looking man still has his hands planted on the edges, and is panting, apparently out of breath. But then he looks up, and I recognize him. He was the man that stole the tiger! That's why the neighborhood looked familiar. Something is wriggling in the center of the circle, but all he does is place a cage around it, gluing it in place with alchemy. The creature lets out a strange sound, somewhere between a growl and a…moo? And it all clicks into place. He created a chimera, combining a tiger and a bull! And it has all the dangerous parts both tigers and bulls have: sharp claws and teeth of a tiger, but strong horns of a bull. It's hard to see, but it seems to be colored orange, with black splotches. My fury escalates as it lets out a pitiful meow/moo, and I kick the door right off its hinges.

Startled, he snaps his head up, and I march in, my eyes blazing. "How could you do this?!" I grab the collar of his shirt, but he pushes me off, spitting, "What are YOU doing here?! Why do you always have to butt into everything important?!" "You're coming with me!" I clap, produce a pair of handcuffs from the cement ground, and snap them onto his wrists. Too late though, I realize he's been preparing for this, and slips a knife between my ribs. Wow. That was really stupid of me. My eyes widen, and I choke, coughing up a bit of blood. He smirks, and manages to draw a circle with his chalk to free himself, even though I had designed the cuffs for it to be difficult to do that. Then, he frees the tiger, whispers to me, "Have fun," and races out the door, locking it behind him.

After getting over the pain of the transmutation, the chimera stands up unsteadily, and roars, racing toward me. I roll my eyes. He thinks I'm just going to die that easily? I clap, and a cement wall appears, trapping the chimera. Ha. Painfully, I yank out the knife, rip my shirt into strips, and create a makeshift bandage. Then, climbing to my feet, I stumble over to the door. I unlock it with alchemy, and when I notice the man waiting there, his mouth unhinging at the sight of my survival, I grit my teeth, knowing he's going to try to attack me again. Even with a knife wound, I still manage to knock him out. "Ha!" I let out a sound of triumph. But then, groaning, I drag him out the door and into the streets. The police station isn't far; if I make it there then everything should be fine. Halfway there, he wakes up without my noticing, and pulls another knife out of nowhere. He stabs me again, and I wobble, my legs collapsing, and my head hits the ground, starting up a head-pounding migraine. I think I hear someone opening their door to see what all the commotion is about outside, then shouting for help. Finally, I black out, thinking, _Winry's going to be furious when she finds out I've injured myself again._

**Me like reviews! All you have to do is type some stuff and click the button, "Post Review", and that's it! Super easy! But no flames. Please. **


	6. Chapter 6

**So…this can be considered a normal update from me, I guess. Updating around once every two weeks…I think it's been two weeks since I last updated…anyway, on with the story! (And I'm not even going to talk about the disclaimer.)**

My sticky eyes won't open. My head hurts, and my chest throbs with pain. Judging from the antiseptic-y smell, I'm in the hospital. And suddenly, I remember. My eyes magically fly open, and I try calling for someone, but all that comes out is a raspy sound. Ugh, need water. For some reason, the only thing I can move is my eyes, and I notice someone sitting in the corner. Winry? My heart leaps at the thought of it, but then they look up, and I realize it's Alphonse.

"Brother? Gosh, Brother, what'd you get yourself into _this_ time? Why are you always getting hurt? Do you need anything, though? Do you want me to call a nurse?"

Croaking, I somewhat gesture to my mouth, miming drinking a cup of water. He understands though, and grabs a cup of water off the tray by my bed. He helps me drink a couple sips, and when my parched throat is finally relieved a little bit, I sigh, and sink back into the pillows. "Okay, Brother. Now answer me. What were you doing that got you stabbed _two_ times?!" I wince. "Well, it's a long story." "I've got time," he counters, and I sigh. So I begin with when I was first trying to help resolve a fight in the market, to the last thing I remembered—not counting the thought about Winry. He gapes. "The day after you come home, you're already tangling yourself into _another_ problem?" I shrug sheepishly. "I—"

"Edward!" Winry bursts into the room, and again, my heart flutters happily. But then I realize Pitt's standing in the doorway, watching Winry warmly, but occasionally sending glares my way. My heart drops, but I retaliate with my own smirks. He looks away, and I cheer inwardly.

"Hey! Ed! Wow, you have like, totally changed or something—for once you haven't sniffed out the food I brought." My ears perk up at the word "food", and my gaze fastens on her. "Food?" I practically slobber, and Winry gives an exasperated shake of her head. "I guess your eating habits still haven't changed," she says with warmth. I can literally sense Pitt stiffen at the affection and familiarity she uses with me, and I smile smugly. Al gives me a weird look, but Winry doesn't notice, concentrating instead on the tray of food balancing precariously on her slender fingers. "Be careful with that," I warn, afraid my food will meet their untimely death from the floor before it can reach me. "I am," she scoffs, then sets it on my stomach. I immediately dig in, and then Winry, leaves with Pitt, telling me to take good care of myself.

By the time I'm finished with my lunch—breakfast?—Al has left too, shooed out by the nurses, saying I need my rest. One comes in just now, and I ask her politely how long I have to stay. "Mmm, about four weeks," she replies, and I choke on my cup of water, spewing my mouthful all over the sheets. She hurries over to my side, patting my back and asking, "Are you okay?" every few coughs I rattle out. "I'm fine," I snap, then burst out, "Four weeks?! _That long?!_ I can't stay that long!"

"Four weeks at the least, young man. You have two very deep knife wounds that have damaged a couple of your internal organs. Four weeks is already a very short period of time for all of that to heal completely."

I moan despairingly, and she gives me a sympathetic smile. "It's not that long," she says brightly, then tells me to rest, and leaves. Great. Just great.

***line break***

As Winry leaves, she reaches out and links her hand with Pitt's, and he grins at her, little dimples in his cheeks. She beams, grateful they'd made up.

_He stepped inside, and when Ed ran off, Winry looked at the door, crestfallen. He stepped toward her, and gave her one of those beautiful smiles she'd always liked—no, loved. I love every aspect of him, she told herself. He whispers, "Can we talk? Privately?" He shoots a glance at Al, who's still looking a bit confused. "Um, Al, Pitt and I just need to talk…privately. So—"_

"_Oh yeah, sure, you guys can go upstairs and talk, I'll just clean up dinner for now." He starts stacking up the plates, so Winry motions for Pitt to follow her up the stairs. After making sure Al hasn't followed them, she closes the door to her bedroom and asks him, "Okay. What was it you wanted to talk about?"_

"_Oh, um." He clears his throat nervously, then continues. "Listen…I'm sorry for how I acted earlier today. I was just jealous," he confesses, and she nods understandingly. "I wasn't trying to make you feel bad…just that, seeing you with that other guy act all happy together, I felt like you liked him better than me." She shakes her head, panicked. "No! No, not at all! We were just childhood friends, you know, nothing in the least bit romantic! All we were doing was catching up and everything, since he'd finally come back from his latest journey. He has to stay at my house though, because his house burned down a long time ago…" she realizes she's rambling, and clamps her mouth shut. Pitt nods though, understanding and relief flooding into his face. "I just thought…he staying here because…because you guys were really close," he blushes, and Winry blushes too. "Oh, God, no, nothing like that," she laughs nervously. He takes hold of her shoulders then, and she looks up at him. Then, leaning forward, he gives her a small peck on the lips, and hugs her gently. She curls up into his chest, feeling much more relaxed._

_Suddenly, the phone rings. Al picks it up downstairs though, but after exchanging a couple of words, he gasps and storms up the stairs. "Winry! Winry!" he sounds frantic, so she reluctantly loosens herself from Pitt's grip, and asks him, "What is it?" He just shoves the phone at her, and she listens._

"…_Elric, whom I presume is staying at the Rockbell home which is why I called here, was found bleeding from two stab wounds on his stomach. He was taken to the hospital, and is being treated right now."_

"_Oh my God! Is he okay?! What happened?" _

"_I'm getting to that, miss, just hold on a second," she snaps. "We aren't sure what exactly happened, but someone had called 9-1-1 after hearing a bunch of commotion outside their door and finding him lying on the side of the street. He has been stabilized now, and will be okay. Unfortunately, visiting hours are over, so you can't come see him. We just thought to notify you so you know where he is."_

"_Ohh…" Winry has sunk down in a chair by now, and says, "Thank you," into the receiver, and the woman replies, "You're welcome," then hangs up. She cradles her head in her hands, and Pitt comes over, patting her back. "Winry? What's wrong?" She looks up with red eyes. "Ed…Ed was found unconscious with two stab wounds on the side of the road somewhere." His eyes widen, then soften as he says, "You know what, Winry? You're not alone. I'll help you through this, okay? How about tomorrow, I come over with my car, and we can get to the hospital faster to visit Ed." "Oh, thank you, Pitt!" she sobs, clinging onto him. She feels so glad that Pitt is being so supportive. Al however, is looking on with narrowed eyes. "You're Winry's boyfriend, aren't you?" he says quietly, but with his eyes directed at Winry. She turns away, unable to look him in the eyes, so Pitt answers for her. "Yes. Yes I am. You got a problem with that?" he practically growls, and she pulls on his sleeve, telling him to not pick a fight. He nods, then picks her up and places her on her bed. "Go to sleep," he says, then kisses her on the cheek. "That's why Ed ran off," Al says in that tone that makes Winry feel so guilty even though she knows that she isn't the one to be blamed._

"_Leave her alone," Pitt mutters angrily, and drags him out of the room. The last thing she sees of Al is his golden eyes filled with betrayal._

**Okay. Well. Most of that chapter was a bunch of flashback…but now you know what happened, I guess. So I'm trying to drag this out to ten chapters, cause that's just a good, whole number, and so if the next two or three chapters seem either short or really boring, sorry about that…Thanks for all the reviews, and I'm showing my thanks by replying to them:**

**jaskcak9: I'm glad my story plot is working! I didn't want a boring little story all just filled with romance stuff, so with this idea, I decided to write a story. And thank you for the compliment! I feel like I don't even deserve it…but thanks! I hope you continue reading this story!**

**jacklynkaleigh: Ugh, auto correct keeps capitalizing your usernames…anyway, I'm pretty sure all of you know how this story is going to turn out, but I'm making it as interesting as possible. Thanks for dropping a review!**

**animefreak3721: Well, I'm not sure if you meant to add a "some" to your last word, but thanks, I think, for the review! **

**And to one of the guest people: Wow…you seriously hit it right on the dot. That scene…well, obviously I can't write funny stuff, so it obviously won't be hilarious, but that scene actually does occur, just in a more serious tone…but wow. And okay, next time, I guess I'll write who's point of view it is—a couple people have already said it's confusing…and I'm really glad you like my story!**

**So, yeah. PLEASE REVIEW! No flames. **

**Fun fact about me: You know how my username is "paracuties"? It's based on the two pet birds I have—they're parakeets. And so one's a guy, one's a girl, and they just sit together and be all cute—so they're a pair-of-cuties. And then, when said quickly, it's paracuties. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! So…sorry about the REALLY short chapter, but…I'm not exactly sure how to add more stuff to it without sounding sort of random. Here's chapter 7!**

Boredom permeated every corner, gripping me tightly in its non-existent fists and just not letting go. Yeah, I was bored. Sitting in blank white rooms with blank white furniture and machinery will do that to you. Only one week had passed, and I was already itching to get out of here! The only time the fog of boredom temporarily lifted was when Winry came to visit. Which happened almost every day, although she brought Pitt along with her. I hoped he wouldn't come today…and speak of the devil. Winry came bouncing into my room, radiating happiness and warmth.

"Here you go!" she handed me the basket of food, and I again devoured it immediately. "Ooh! Apple pie!" my mouth watered just at the thought of eating it, and she carefully handed the hot slice to me. "Mmm…," I moaned, and she laughed. "It's your reward for staying in the hospital a whole week and not causing any trouble!" I sniffed. "Hmph. You didn't think I'd be able to accomplish that, did you?" "Nope." I shrugged, finishing the last of the pie and licking the crumbs off my fingers. "Well, I did, so I beat you. Ha!"

"Are we playing some kind of game here or something?"

"Ahh, whatever. So," I continued in as neutral tone as possible, "Pitt didn't come today?"

"No…he was busy."

"Why are you with that jerk anyway?"

The question came out before I could stop it, but it was too late to take it back. I held her sharp gaze for a while, until she spoke with annoyance, crossing her arms and legs and sticking her nose in the air, "He's NOT a jerk. He's really sweet, actually. And I'm with him 'cause I like, duh!" I frowned. "I don't think that's why. You guys were arguing, and he was just trying to throw you off, but you keep hanging on. I don't think that can be described as sweet." Her eyes flashed angrily, and she said through gritted teeth, "Why are you even asking me this? Stop bothering me."

"I'm asking you this because I don't think he deserves you."

"Why would you say that?! You—he and I are practically made for each other!"

That stung. I bit back, "I don't think so. I'm pretty sure you don't even love him."

"Yes I do! You don't know how I feel. I love him so much, I just—I want to have a family with him!"

Ouch. So she was just throwing me off like that? But I continued, and said, "Bingo. Exactly. All you want is a family. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but you would rather have a family with someone you don't love, than not have a family at all?" She opened her mouth, but then my words seemed to sink in and she closed it again. Shook her head slightly. Took a step back. And ran out of the room.

Ohhh, nonononono, that was really stupid of me. "WINRY! Wait, don't go! I didn't—." But I did mean to say that. I knew she knew that it was all true; every single word I said just then was true. But still. It was harsh, and I hoped she would come back soon for me to apologize.

**Okay, so…really short chapter…but it's a big turning point. About three more chapters left! Or two, if I can't drag it out that long…but please rate and review! No flames.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Ughh…so I haven't been writing lately…and this chapter is still kinda short…and I've also been trying to write my story on NaNoWriMo, which is a totally different story, and not even fanfiction, but I haven't gotten very far on that either…which sucks. But I still hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I'm putting this up cause…I don't know…I just want to I guess…so I do not own any characters in Fullmetal Alchemist nor Fullmetal Alchemist itself. **

Well, Winry didn't come to visit again. My hospital stay totaled at three weeks, and the nurses and doctors were amazed at my quick recovery. But Winry. The two weeks afterward, I kept waiting for Winry to come. She never did. So that probably meant I wasn't welcome at Winry's house, and would have to stay at a hotel somewhere. Al had long moved out already, sometime after I was hospitalized, but when I asked either Winry or Alphonse about it, neither of them spilled.

However, Al went to stay in Central for a while. He told me on the phone only after he had left, and I was so pissed I practically had an aneurism. Eventually though, I was thinking clearly, and could see his reasoning behind it. After all, he was the ambassador to Xing, and the government had to keep control over that sort of thing.

What to do now? I first snuck into Winry's house to gather my belongings after making sure she wasn't home. In the middle of packing up though, I heard to front door slam, and then the patter of feet up the stairs. Oh crap. Quickly stuffing everything inside, I zipped up the suitcase and quietly as possible, then opened the window and jumped outside, landing on my feet, mostly putting the weight on my automail leg. I was halfway across the lawn when I heard a shout behind me.

"Hey!" Winry. She sounded angry. I clenched my fists, but continued sprinting into town. I didn't want to face her, in case she might just totally cut off our wobbly friendship. I could still pretend in my dreams that she'd forgive me, and then we'd marry, have a family…oh jeez. Where'd _that_ come from?! I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I had to concentrate on my new, personal mission here.

After hitching a ride, I stood in front of the local police station, staring at the people inside. Most of them were laughing and talking, the rest of them thin, unfit people taking notes on something. Great. _These _were the people that would be helping me capture that crazy chimera-creating guy?! At least I hoped they'd be helping me. They'd better be. I strode in, capturing the attention of all of them. Resembool didn't have many crimes committed, so not many people would be coming in through these doors reporting a crime. Basically saying, it was rare for a random civilian to be coming in, like me.

"Do you need anything sir?" the front desk receptionist droned.

"Um, duh, yeah. Why else would I be here?"

She gave me a blank stare. I continued, "I'm reporting a crime, on a man living at…um, I think 537 Sunny Avenue, who created a chimera."

They stared at me blankly. "What? You guys don't think creating a chimera is bad enough or something? Let me tell you, creating a chimera is almost as bad as human transmutation!"

They continued staring blankly, until one man coughed uncomfortably and said, "Um, what exactly is a chimera?"

There was silence as they watched my face get red. I was ticket. "You guys don't know what a chimera even IS?! You incompetent idiots! I thought the police were better than that!"

"You watch you mouth, young man. You can't—"

I held up my pocket watch. They gasped, and frantically apologized, then said politely, "We're sorry we don't know much about alchemy, at least I think you're talking about alchemy, but could you please explain?"

Typical. They only treated higher-ups with utmost respect, kissing up so they wouldn't be demoted. I rolled my eyes and in a bored voice said, "Chimeras are a combination of two animals, or sometimes even an animal and a human."

They gasped. I held up my hand for silence, then said, "The man I was talking about earlier combined a tiger and bull. I'm not sure what he's planning to do with it, but I'm afraid the citizens of Resembool might be in danger."

"Well then," one police officer stepped forward to shake my hand and I grasped his hand firmly before both of us saluted each other. He then pulled out a map of the neighborhood I had outlined earlier, and started planning.

"Do you think we should storm the place, or first try to negotiate?"

"I would think storming his house and capturing him to be interrogated at the police station would be best, since he seems a little crazy, at least to me. He'd probably sic the chimera on us before we can even get a word out."

The other officers nodded in agreement, so he ordered them in place, telling them to attack from which direction, then turned to me.

"Anything else?"

I thought about it. Then, realizing all this riding on the fact that he would still be waiting there in his house, I said, "Even if we don't find him because he already escaped, look for clues on where he went and especially what he did with the chimera. We can't have a half tiger half bull chimera wreaking havoc on innocent people."

After gathering necessary materials, we set out, three police cars total to fit the entire team. The sirens were on, screeching like a blade scraping against another blade, and scaring everybody out of the way. We stopped just at the edge of the neighborhood, so that that the sirens didn't alert him of our presence, and quickly got into place. Through the strange little radios, I whispered, "1…2…3…Go!"

I just hoped these new prototypes worked, connecting with all the other radios each police officer held. A crashing of the door on the other side of the house told me they had. I crept silently into the house, followed by a couple of police, and was surprised to find the man that had stabbed and sent to me to the hospital carefully heading up the stairs, holding something on a leash.

**I'm not really sure if they even have sirens on their police cars in Amestris, or if they even had those "new prototypes"…can anyone guess what those are?**

**Well, anyway, we're nearing the end of the chapter…I'm just SO thankful that all of you are supporting me…oh yeah, happy belated thanksgiving by the way…**

**jacklynkaileigh: I think I spelled your name wrong last name…but thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you're thinking my story's okay!**

**neusuada: Have you reviewed before with this same username? Cause since you're a guest…and this person called neusuada has reviewed a couple of my other chapters…but anyway, if you are the same person, congratulations! You just got a virtual piece of pumpkin pie because of staying with this story!**

**animefreak3721: I'm glad you liked the part about Al guilting Winry, because I wanted to add in a bit of Al playing a role in changing Winry's mind too, but I'm not sure what you mean by Pitt trying to get to Ed and Al by using Winry—OHH! So you're saying Pitt and that guy that stabbed Ed could be related? Hmm…interesting idea…I'm not sure if I'll be using that or not…**

**Mystery-shrouded S: Interesting username…? Not sure what it exactly means, but I am so happy you gave me some constructive criticism! I am now paying attention to that problem, so I hope it's better in this chapter now. And I'm not sure what you mean that I don't follow the actual events in the anime or manga…? Because this IS a fanfiction, and anything that happens in here IS going to be something I made up…but I'm glad you like it so much! I didn't think I was that good of a writer to make people cry during a supposedly touching scene…  
**

**Well, peeps, rate and review! But please no flames.**

**Fun fact: It was actually my birthday on November 14, so now I have turned the day of my birthday! Meaning I've turned 14, in case nobody understood what I was talking about…**


	9. Chapter 9

…**.WOW. I haven't updated in SO long…have you guys forgotten about my story? I hope not. Those that are still following…THANK YOU. I just…I don't know. I was lazy, okay? And sorry for the short chapter, but…most of my chapters are short anyway…**** Well, enjoy!**

There was a pause, a blank, motionless bit of time, where we just stood there staring at each other. I was the first to react though, and clapped, trying to capture the chimera with an iron cage. He yanked the chimera out of the way though, and then instead he himself ended up in the cage. He didn't seem to be too worried however and instead just quickly whispered a couple commands into its ear and it took off for the open door.

The police behind me tried to stop it, but it swiped at them with one lethal claw and they barely escaped unharmed. I hesitated, unsure if I should go after the chimera or capture the guy's chalk. That hesitation was all he needed though, and he transmuted the roof of his cage into a strange contraption that I wasn't able to examine well enough as he whizzed into the air, cackling madly. The police tried to shoot the cables and ropes holding the contraption up in the air, but unfortunately they weren't very good shots.

"Hahaha!" he screamed, then somehow holding a briefcase in his hand, he burst through the roof and jumped away, his dark clothing starting to blend in with the coming night.

"You all—go after him. He might be trying to escape Resembool by train. Round up the rest of your men. I'll be getting that chimera."

With that said, I sprinted out the door. I had suspected the man was escaping by train because judging by the look of his briefcase, he had hurriedly stuffed a couple possessions of his he found important inside, and he seemed to be heading towards that general direction. There wasn't really any other means of transportation that could be fast enough to escape the police.

A tearing sound was what brought me back to the present. Up ahead of me, the chimera was tearing into a poor, old chicken that had escaped its roost. Two more squawks and gush of dark red blood later, the chicken was beheaded. I grimaced, but ran to face my horrifying opponent anyway. It swallowed the chicken, then regarded me fearlessly. Suddenly seeming to remember something, it shook its head, turned, and loped around another corner. This was bad. I couldn't let it get near any people who might be taking an evening stroll. Fortunately, it seemed to be heading toward the more grassy, farmland area, with houses spaced farther apart and fewer people around. Unfortunately, I realized a little while later it was going straight toward Winry's house.

"Hey! Stop!" It didn't respond, and I cursed. I was getting a stitch in my side, and breathing harder than I should have. This was what three weeks in the hospital did to you, and suddenly sprinting at full speed right afterwards was not helping.

Then I noticed Winry standing there on the porch with Pitt. She was saying something, and was so concentrated on their conversation that she didn't notice the tiger-bull chimera bounding up the dirt path. She turned a little, then suddenly saw it and gasped. Well, I couldn't really hear her, but it seemed like she did. Pitt started tugging on her arm, but she stood stock-still and glared fiercely at the chimera, her arms spread wide as if she was protecting the house from the chimera. At the last moment, Pitt vaulted over the railing and ran, terrified for himself. That…that bastard! Winry closed her eyes, and I could see her fear but also acceptance as she expected to die protecting the last thing her family had given her.

Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I poured on the speed, sweat already making my cotton shirt stick like syrup to my back. I was off to the side, hidden by nearby bushes as I tried to cut off the chimera. At the last second, when that clawed paw just barely ripped the bottom step to shreds, I jumped, wildly reaching for one of its curved horns, and my momentum swung us around, me landing hard on his back and the chimera running in the opposite direction. I winced, my face probably turning bright red, but I barely had time to grab its horns before it started bucking around, throwing the world into dizzying circles.

I closed my eyes and grit my teeth. I couldn't necessarily clap unless I wanted to be thrown into the air, but then I wouldn't be able to have a weapon. Could I somehow use its weapons against itself? Pushing hard, my automail hand broke off its left horn with a loud snap, and the chimera screeched, bouncing me around even more wildly. Before I could fall off, I faced the tip to its side, brought my arm up, and swung down, feeling the sharp point pierce its hide easily. It stopped so suddenly I had no time to brace myself and flew over its head like a little kid who braked to hard and flew over his bike's handlebars.

Fortunately, I flipped in the air and nimbly landed on my feet, then turned to face it again, in case that blow wasn't enough. But it was, and it let out a long, low keening sound, one that pierced my heart as well as my ears, and finally flopped over, no more life left in it. I looked over at Winry with her hands over her mouth and our eyes met, but then Pitt tugged on her shoulder and they faced each other, starting to argue about something. The adrenaline left me then and I just stared at them. Even though I should've been expecting it, even though I should have prepared myself…I hadn't. A tiny part of me had hoped maybe, just maybe, Winry would come to her senses and realize Pitt was only a stupid bastard, or at least a thank-you would be nice, seeing as I had saved her life and all. But no. She was talking to Pitt, and that horrified look I had seen in her eyes confirmed that she was plain disgusted with me. I turned away, locked my heart, and spoke into the radio device, saying I had taken down the chimera.

**Wow. Short. And…we have reached the climax of the story! Woohooo! I hope you guys liked it, because I DID work hard on it. Even though it's short. Thank you to:**

**jaclynkaileigh: Thank you! I appreciate EVERYBODY who wished me a belated golden birthday, by the way. **

**Mystery-shrouded S: Sorry about that…so is it that you want me to put in the summary: "This is a post-canon divergence." ? Not sure. You're welcome for fixing the paragraph format! I DO think it's easier to read, myself…thank YOU. **

**Ryouko Nakamura-chan: Yes, I love love triangles too. They're always full of angst and stuff and everything. :D **

**MinimusAstrum: I actually took the name "Pitt" from the manga, the name of a childhood friend of Edward's. So you see…:D Ed's actually facing his childhood friend! And yeah, I know Winry would most likely not stay with Pitt, but this is just a situation in the lesser percentage of likelihood. **

**animefreak3721: Of COURSE Al would be supportive of Ed! They've ALWAYS had that special brotherly bond…and yes, I am a girl, no worries. I don't think a guy would be in for writing this kind of story…and thank you sosososososo much for saying my writing is that good. I feel so happy inside. And I'm sorry…it did include a bit of a casualty…but at least Ed's not hurt! :\ **


End file.
